Capcom Not Too Fond Of Gacha Mechanics In Its Games

Gacha mechanics and microtransactions in video games are hot-button issues. Developer and publisher Capcom is not too fond of one of these forms of monetization, confirming it "refrains" from including them in its games for the healthy development of the youth.

Gacha mechanics are similar to loot boxes in modern video games. They originate from gachapon, vending machine-style capsule toys popular in Japan, and largely appear in mobile titles. In games, they require real-world money to access and rewards are selected at random. In a recent investor report, Capcom president and COO, Haruhiro Tsujimoto, spoke about gacha and his disapproval of their implementation in the company's titles.

"Since 2005 Capcom has independently continued literacy and career education support activities to raise awareness about how to properly interact with games in an effort to eliminate the social concern regarding the healthy development of youth with regards to games," Tsujimoto said. "As a general rule, in our mobile games we refrain from utilizing gacha elements."

That does not mean Capcom doesn't offer microtransactions at all. While Tsujimoto notes the company does its best "to ensure that a broad range of customers are able to play safely and fairly," he does point out that some kinds of monetization still appear in Capcom's games. "And while we do sell small-scale, inexpensive additional content in games for home consoles, any content that is required to play the main game is provided free of charge."

Capcom is having a phenomenal 2019 though. Devil May Cry 5 and a handful of Resident Evil games--including Resident Evil 2--saw critical acclaim when they released throughout the year. And games not released in the year, like Monster Hunter: World and Street Fighter V, continue to receive balance tweaks and content updates.